Wicked Layers
by Tobias25
Summary: After the death of Sirius, and a serious case of depression, Harry has decided to make his own way. Even if he must stop helping others and only help himself. It was time to embrace a little bit of his Slytherin side. HP/DG pairing No longer being updated
1. Chapter 1

**This is my second attempt at any form of fan fiction ever, in fact the first may still be up on this account, if it is I may end up leaving it up, however I may take it down. Just so I can have a clean slate. This is no super powerful Harry, merely an average Harry trying his best to make it through life. He's going to be highly independent, and more Slytherin than Gryffindor. This story is set during HBP, and most likely is going to have some Ginny bashing as Harry is going to be paired with a very Slytherin Daphne Greengrass. As of right now I have no set plan for the story, I have a rough outline in my head, but choices in the writing will affect how we get to that outcome, or even may change that outcome some. I hope you enjoy, and I'd love constructive criticism and story direction suggestions.**

Harry sat on a swing set not far from his aunt's home. He longed for a time where the world will stop being the suffocating shade of grey that had weighed Harry down since Sirius died. Professor Dumbledore kept promising life would eventually get better, but Harry saw no way out of this trench. Ron and Hermione tried to help, but life felt empty. Harry was tired of being the noble Gryffindor that always saved the day. Didn't the world care about what he wanted? He was only about to turn 16 and he was exhausted. Years of struggle had finally drained Harry of his will to continue. His saving grace was school started again soon, and he wouldn't have to put up with the Dursleys. During all of Harry's internal musings, rain began to pour from the sky. Harry struggled to bring himself to care, and in the end it wasn't that he was worried about being soaked, he was worried about dealing with his Uncle Vernon, and he wasn't willing to sit through a lecture and spend his last few days with the Dursleys locked in his room. As Harry walked back, his mind began drifting towards the school year ahead of him. With the return of Voldemort, the students in the DA would probably want Harry back to tutor everyone, but Harry didn't want to. He wanted to be himself and help himself, the others weren't his problem. Harry was fighting himself the rest of the night, while he dried off, changed, made dinner, and cleaned the kitchen. Even as he laid down for bed, he knew this year was going to be incredibly complicated.

Diagon Alley seemed deserted for it to be this close to a school year, the fear of the new war had kept a lot of people home, and floo catalogs had really boomed this summer. Remus had agreed to accompany Harry to Diagon Alley, hoping to be a positive role model for this hurting young man. "How was your summer Harry?" Remus asked hoping to engage in small talk to push through the awkward air surrounding their time together. Harry merely shrugged, he'd barely said a word to anyone since the incident in the Ministry of Magic.

"It's been alright, I guess. Can I ask you a question?" Harry asked hopefully

"Always"

"Is it normal to feel numb after this? How did you feel during the last war?" The questions floored Remus, he knew he should have expected questions like this, but he was really hoping it'd be something simpler. Maybe like 'What did my dad do during the last war' or something similar about Sirius.

"Harry, the last war brought the worst out of a lot of wizards. Before the war, Sirius wouldn't harm a fly, but at the end of the first war he'd killed his fair share of Death Eaters. For a long time, he was never the same. It wasn't until you showed up that he felt like he had a purpose again. You may just need to search for you purpose." Harry thought long and hard on what Remus said, and he descended back into his no talking slump the rest of the trip to Diagon Alley. Remus was disappointed, he had hoped for a stronger connection here, but the fact Harry opened up so much was promising he thought. Their finally stop of the day was Gringotts, Harry needed money for the school year. Harry remembered his first trip to Gringotts, the shock and awe of the bank, and now he felt nothing. Not even the nostalgia was enough to shift any of Harry's emotions. "Ahh, young Potter. How may I help you?" Griphook inquired.

"I was hoping I could withdraw some funds for the school year" Harry stated nonchalantly. He really wanted to get out of Diagon Alley, he hated being out in public, forced into the stares from random adults.

"Of course, the standard yearly school amount, correct?" Griphook asked as he began counting the galleons out.

"Actually, can I get a little more? More like 1000 galleons," Harry stated quickly before Remus could interrupt. It was his money, and he was going to withdraw as much as he wanted. Griphook quickly counted the galleons out, and handed them over. Harry gave a quick nod and began headed to the door. He was ready to go to bed, the more he slept the less he had to deal with the constant numbness that plagued him. Soon, he'd be back at Hogwarts, and maybe he'd find his purpose there.

 **This, like the first chapter in my first fan fiction, is a shorter than average chapter. I've seen what a 1000 words gets, and now I know I need to aim towards 2500 words. Again I apologize for this short chapter, a new one will go up tomorrow or the day after that is longer.**

 **I hope you enjoy, I may in fact be continuing my first fan fiction story. As I was working on this I paused to update that story with a small update chapter/paragraph.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone, so I've decided that for every 2 chapters I post for this story, I'm going to upload one for my other story. So onto this chapter, the way I'm going to handle these chapters. I'm gonna have something set for each chapter, with no set word goal, other than at least more than 1500. This one is going to end up around 1700 without these extra words. So now for the 2 reviews I got, for one, thank you, MysticReader99 and Luckenzio, for the reviews. Both were great, when it comes to character depth, I completely understand. That one was on me due to the chapter length, I should have anticipated that 1000 words were not nearly enough. Also I wanted to clarify about what I meant by "Ginny bashing". It's not Harry necessarily hating on Ginny, more of Ginny reacting badly to Harry's relationship with Daphne. She's going to be jealous and it's going to drive a wedge between Ginny and Harry. Also I'm sorry for any typos here, or even just faulty Harry Potter trivia on my part.**

Harry groaned as he crawled out of bed, the Weasleys were nice enough to agree to take him to Kings Cross, but Harry felt the reason everyone was being this nice to him because of Sirius' death and Dumbledore asking them to keep him safe. He understood, but he was tired of everyone assuming he needed to be protected. _They should be training me, instead of babying me_ he thought harshly. This year he really needed to start advancing on his own, he needed some defensive spells. In fact, while Remus was in the bathroom, he managed to sneak a couple defense books, he knew Dumbledore wouldn't approve if he found them, so Harry felt the need to be secretive. The morning went by quickly, and soon the family and Harry made it to Kings Cross. Harry could barely remember the last week, he'd spent hours hiding in his mind. There he was in control and felt safe, but it took a toll on his friendship with Ron. He was hurt because Harry had been avoiding him, and Harry had, but he hadn't just been avoiding Ron. Harry was avoiding everyone, no one seemed to understand what he was going through, and he couldn't pretend everything was normal or even anywhere near okay. He just wanted to make it to Hogwarts, the castle was so big he could spend a lot of time alone. Time seemed to fly by and Harry was on the train, dodging and weaving attempting to find an empty cart, when he found one he quickly ducked in and casting a locking charm on the door. He wasn't interested in the snack cart today. He sat down, but in the corner of his eye he noticed a shimmer. It was super slight, but enough for Harry to doubt it being described as an optical illusion. Pretending he didn't notice Harry began to act normal and started reading one of the text books for the year. He was going to catch whoever it is off guard, and soon he was ready, he pulled his wand ready to dispel the disillusionment charm when a female voice whisper "Expelliarmus", and Harry's wand went flying. Knowing he'd been beat, Harry switched to diplomacy. "Look, I wasn't going to harm you, I'm just tired and scared"

"I'm sorry" she said sarcastically, dropping the spell. There before Harry stood Daphne Greengrass shimmering into existence. Harry dropped his gaze and shrugged. Tears started showing in his eyes, though he was visibly attempting bite them back. She expected him to be snarky or literally almost anything other than that. She was the most reclusive of the 6th year Slytherins, Harry knew almost nothing about her. In the back of his mind, he always acknowledged that she was definitely one of the prettier girls in the school. However, house boundaries would have prevented him from ever acting on it, even if there was a chance she'd agree to even speak to him.

"Look…. I won't bother you, if you won't bother me, okay?" He asked putting his head back in the book. He just didn't care anymore, and Daphne could tell. At first, she wasn't sure what to say, or if she should say anything at all. For awhile they sat in an awkward silence. For the first time, Daphne saw more to Harry Potter than the chosen one propaganda the wizarding world was spoon fed. This wasn't the guy who saved the day every year since he started going to school. This was a human, a very broken one. _Damn, someone needs to teach him occlumency_ she mused. The emotions rolling off of him were getting a bit much. Finally, she decided she needed to do something, even if it was only to stop this awkward silence.

"So, chosen boy, how was your summer?" She asked

"Why does everyone keep asking me that when…." He trailed off, she probably doesn't know what happened. So why is he mad at her? "Look, that was uncalled for. My godfather Sirius died at the end of last year. It's just hit me really hard I guess, but that's my problem."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry…" Daphne was cut off by a loud bang and Malfoy laughing gregariously. Harry quickly put his finger to his lips to motion for Daphne to be quiet, and Harry threw the cloak over her. It was better than the disillusionment charm. The locking charm didn't keep the door shut long, but it was merely an early warning system than a lock in this case. "Well, how's Snotter doing without his dear godfather?" Malfoy sneered from the hallway. Harry knew if he didn't respond like normal, Malfoy would sense his weakness.

"How's daddy doing now that he failed Voldemort's mission?" This pissed Malfoy off, and he had his wand ready. Harry knowing a duel would bring nothing but a headache. He was only prepared to use a shield.

"Don't worry Potter, I'm not aiming for you" Malfoy said shooting a Reducto at the window. He just wanted Harry's stuff to blow out the window, he never expected what happened next. There was a Daphne in the way, so Harry did the first thing that came to mind. He dove taking the Reducto to the shoulder. The blast through him back into Daphne, but Malfoy had already ran to avoid the trouble. "Get off of me chosen boy, need to at least buy me dinner first" she teased. It wasn't until she saw how much pain he was actually in did she realize he really needed help. He was cradling his left arm, but to his credit no tears were flowing right now. The only thing Daphne could see was anger. "Harry, let me see, maybe I can help the pain until we can get you to a healer." He reluctantly moved closer to her, and let her inspect the damage. Daphne was no healer, but her parents had made her prepare for the war in different ways this summer, and one of those was basic medical training. She knew right away his arm was broken and his shoulder dislocated. She quickly got to work casting spells to fix his arm, and soon he was feeling a lot better, at least physically. After the situation was averted, he finally started to read the situation he was in. He just took a Reducto for Daphne Greengrass, that was a story no one would believe.

"So why are you hiding in this cart instead of, y'know, hanging out with your group?" Harry inquired

"And what makes you think I'd answer that Potter?" That question caught Harry off guard, he should have expected her to not answer. The idea that this reclusive Slytherin would just open up to the golden boy was ridiculous.

"I don't know, honestly. I guess nothing really. I just really wanted to talk to someone about something other than the war, it's all my friends seem to be focused on…" He trailed off, hoping he hadn't just ruined his chance with this girl. Daphne seemed taken back, and it briefly showed through her generally solid mask. The supposed chosen one was not what she expected, and definitely not acting like the hero from all the stories that followed him through his years at Hogwarts. She could crush him in this vulnerable state, not physically, but mentally. She could feel how exhausted he felt by just sitting near him.

"Well, Potter, I'll try to indulge you. My friends are doing the same thing your friends have been doing, talking about the war, and it's been getting annoying. Not because we disagree, but because it's all they ever talk about." She actually was telling Harry the truth, not all of the truth, but not a lie. Her friends were fighting over who was going to win now that the world knew that Voldemort was back. Most of them were biased and agreed that Voldemort was going to crush the Ministry, but her and a few others weren't so sure. Harry had survived time and time again, if only barely. Seeing Harry now though, she was a little mad. She was going to be wrong she thought alongside her mental laughter. She genuinely hated being wrong, but here was a great chance for her to play some games.

"I understand what you mean, everyone keeps asking me if I'm alright. Not only is the war dominating the small talk of everyone I know, my mental health is the only thing people pretend to want to talk about in private." He stated, it was understood between the two that Harry didn't want to burden others with his problems, and his friends only wanted him to say everything was okay. Daphne felt a little twinge at this realization, she understood this to an extent. It's how her parents had treated her most of her life, though she didn't want to bring that up, since Harry didn't have any. _Wow, that was kind of crude_ she thought. She opened her mouth to say something else but was cut off when the train gave a loud whistle signaling they were almost to Hogsmeade.

"Look Harry, if you want to feel better, you need to take control of your life. I'm sorry, but if something does not change you'll never beat the dark lord in the state you're currently in, and Sirius would have died in vain."

"I know something has to change, I just don't know how"

"Channel your inner Slytherin, and stop being such a Gryffindor"

"I'll think about it, thank you" Harry said, though he was not sure how sincere she was being. However, even though he thought she had another motive, he saw the truth in her words.

"I should get going, we wouldn't want people to catch us together. What a scandal that'd be" she stated with a laugh. Casting a disillusionment charm, she made her way out of the door. Harry gave a long sigh once he was sure she was gone. _That was definitely a strange encounter_ he thought as he began mentally preparing for the upcoming feast, hoping he could get to the Gryffindor common room fast, he really needed some sleep.

 **This chapter was decently longer than the first one, and hopefully the next chapter will be even longer, but I'm hoping the average will be around 2000 words. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, constructive reviews are highly encouraged. My next goal is a new chapter on my other fan fiction story, though I've got to do some serious thinking before I try to tackle it  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**This one is over 2,000 words, probably needed to be longer, but I'm getting there. Mainly the reason this one is short, is because I gave myself a deadline in an attempt to force myself to dedicate time to write. Action is actually coming soon, but for now I really just want to get the story established. Please leave some reviews and if you have any questions or anything about the story, feel free to DM me Eventually, I may turn this into a Dark Harry story, but that may be a sequel and after Voldemort's defeat. However, most likely expect a Harry with darker sensibilities. Not evil, but dark. I realized after writing this, people may wonder about other characters other than Harry and Daphne, I'm sort of wondering that too. They'll show up next chapter.**

Harry filed into the Great Hall with all the other students. _I can't wait to sleep_ he thought as most of the students were chatting and being normal students. It frustrated Harry that he no longer felt the same amount of joy the rest of the student body felt. Suddenly a hush fell over the great hall as Dumbledore began to speak, "I know this last year has been rough for many, but always remember that hope exists wherever and whenever a person looks for it." The speech gets cheesier every year Harry thought. Everyone knew that even though the speech applied to everyone, Dumbledore was referring to Harry. _Does he have to be so dramatic?_ harry thought, laying his head on the table. The Great Hall never looked darker, though the candles still look the same Harry mused. If Harry would have had his head up, he might have noticed a Daphne Greengrass occasionally looking his way. She was confused about their encounter on the Hogwarts Express. It left her feeling something she had never felt before, and feeling was generally an uncommon experience in her case. She sighed internally, she could not wait to go to sleep.

Back in the Gryffindor common room Harry blew his friends off and headed straight upstairs. Eventually he knew they'd corner him, but for now he just wanted to his enjoy the fleeting feeling of being alone. As he made his way into the dorms he noticed something laying on his bed, a letter from Dumbledore. He warily walked over and opened it.

Dear Harry,

It's time you started learning how to face your destiny. I would appreciate your attendance to a meeting with me Wednesday at 6 pm.

-Dumbledore

The letter was formal, and that confused Harry. Dumbledore had never been this formal before. Concern began filling Harry, was Dumbledore starting to distance himself. Harry hated the fact that bothered him so much, Dumbledore has done nothing but assure Harry good will win out. Harry was pissed as well, he couldn't just ignore Dumbledore. He almost always gets his way, regardless of the situation, and Harry decided it'd be easier to cooperate with him, at least initially. All Harry knew for certain was that this year was going to be one of the most strenuous he's had, and he'd fought a troll his first year. Harry decided to worry about Wednesday on Wednesday, it was time to go to bed. As he laid down, he had one name repeating in the back of his head, Daphne.

The Slytherin common room was filled with nervous 1st years trying to put on a face of power, their fear made Daphne laugh on the inside. It was the small things that really cleared Daphne's mind, her encounter with the golden boy had really messed with her head. For once in her life, someone's misery had affected her in a negative way. _What about Potter is different?_ Daphne wondered. The more she thought about him, the more torn she became. Part of her wanted to just completely ignore Harry, even going as far as actively avoiding him, and the other part wanted to get to know him, actively hanging out with him. She'd have to be careful if she decided to talk to Harry, her position among the Slytherin house would be at risk if anyone, even her core group, found out. The power hungry students would use the information to discredit her, and if it got back to her parents, it would surely make its way to the Dark Lord, and it would risk her family's life. Despite all the risk, she found it hard to not recognize that Harry Potter affected her in intriguing ways, and she felt personally obligated to understand why he was different. Daphne, in her deep thought, had ignored her friends all evening. They began to wonder what had Daphne's attention before school even started.

The next day at breakfast, Harry barely ate, but not because of his depression like the previous weeks, but because he was confused. Last night he only dreamed about Daphne Greengrass. They were in a replica of the cart from the Hogwarts express, but this cart was located in the Room of Requirement, and in the dream he felt happy. They weren't even joking or having normal conversations, they were just together. His fear bled away as he sat looking her blue eyes. "Is that a smile Harry?" Ginny blushed, snapping Harry out of his thoughts. Sure enough, he had been smiling, however he was smiling at Ginny. The smile quickly faded, as he realized Ginny now thought she was the reason Harry was happy, and Harry wasn't sure how to correct her, nor did he feel up to it. "Well, I gotta go" Harry said, quickly leaving the great hall. Ginny finally felt like Harry was on his way to reciprocating her feelings, not knowing who Harry was really thinking about. Harry didn't have a class today, no one did. So he hoped Ginny wouldn't follow him as he made his way to the Room of Requirement. If he'd be paying attention, he wouldn't have worried about Ginny following him. Someone else under a disillusionment charm was keeping their distance. As Harry made his way, he was constantly detouring to avoid his classmates. The trip took longer than he wanted, but it didn't bother him until he saw no door appearing. "What?" he asked out loud.

"It's not here, I've been trying for 30 minutes" said a voice that brought a little happiness to his situation. He let a small smile move to his lips as he turned around. There stood Daphne Greengrass, with her blue eyes and long hair. _Funny,_ he thought. He'd just now consciously noticed what she looked like, and was amazed at how spot on his subconscious was, except on one major point. Her eyes were a hell of a lot more stunning in person. For a moment he didn't say a word, as he was drowning in her eyes. Daphne cleared her throat, snapping Harry out of his trance. _How could I be so obvious_ he thought, assuming she'd known what had happened. Though her face never showed it. "How did you know where I was?" Harry questioned, hoping for an answer.

"I followed you" Daphne said with a devious grin. Out of anyone else, Harry would have known the grin was a joke, but with Daphne he knew she felt an actual pleasure outwitting others. He had a feeling she was the cat in their relationship. "Plus, anyone with a brain could guess where you'd retreat to." The truth in that one stung, as he realized how predictable he was. He would never beat Voldemort unless he changed.

"I bet you'll never guess my backup hiding spot" Harry said with a half smile, desperately trying to keep the interaction going. He was internally hoping she'd accept. Luckily she was as curious about their budding relationship as he was.

"Alright, I'll bite this time. Where is it?" she asked, hoping it'd be somewhere secure. Her experiment would only work if her friends never found out, because if they did, her bridge to Harry Potter would be burnt really quickly, and that was not in her itinerary.

"Follow me and I'll take you there, only I can get in" he said, confident of that statement.

"Do you have your invisibility cloak? or at the very least know a disillusionment charm?" she asked, though she already knew the answer. "Well come here then" she said, seeing him shake his head. It took her a minute, but soon both of them were practically invisible. Grabbing her hand, Harry lead them on a trek to the only place in the castle he felt truly secure. He knew he was taking a risk showing Daphne, but she couldn't get in without him, and he may need help while he's down there. Also he knew she was playing him somehow, so he thought it was only fair that he play her to help him clear out a place for him to be wasn't going to play chess with her, knowing when it came to intrigue, she outclassed him. It wasn't long before they were in an abandoned bathroom, and Harry felt safe to speak. "Here we are" he said with a grin on his face. Daphne just frowned.

"An abandoned girls bathroom? I was really expecting more Potter"

"Just wait" Harry said, moving his way to a specific sink. " _ **Open**_ " He said in a language Daphne recognized at Parsletongue _Damn, I totally forgot he was a Parslemouth_ Daphne thought frustrated. It really didn't matter, but in the world they lived in, Daphne felt safe knowing everything she could about potential threats, and being a Parslemouth is a very big thing to forget about someone. She at least knew where they were going, to the Chamber of Secrets. "I haven't been down here since my second year. I've always been too busy saving the school to actually explore it" Harry explained as he drew his wand. As soon as they were both in the passage Harry told the door to close. "Why did you do that?" Daphne exclaimed, drawing her wand defensively.

"Look, I can always open it back up, but I can't afford someone wandering in. I don't feel like being the hero," he said, as they traveled further into the chamber.

"You really don't like being the hero, do you?" She asked, thoroughly shocked. She had always thought of him as a fearless attention seeker, but looking back she must have known he would have never intentionally put his life into danger that many times, he's smarter than a lot of Slytherins give him credit for.

Harry shrugged, "I never really liked the attention, but most of the time it was my life or suffer the attention for awhile." Daphne nodded, she understood not wanting attention. "What about you? I honestly know nothing about you" he asked. He was just trying to pass the time, he didn't remember the trip to the Chamber taking this long last time, but of course last time he was saving someone, and wasn't accompanied by a lady. He wasn't in a hurry, he was enjoying his time with Daphne. Here he wasn't Harry Potter, just Harry. No pressure to be the savior, and it was a real weight off of his shoulders.

"Do you really think you can ask questions and have me open up to you Potter?" she said as she laughed. Harry just smiled, watching her laugh.

"Of course not, but maybe being stuck down in the Chamber of Secrets is a better motivator than my curiosity." That caused Daphne to stop laughing, he'd actually gotten her in a box, albeit one she wasn't too worried about. She was actually enjoying there conversation.

"Very Slytherin of you, I'm proud" Daphne grinned, "However, I'm gonna have get you back." This caused Harry to smile, it was nice not being pressured to be the golden child everyone expected him to be.

"You ready to see a dead basilisk? Y'know I'm the one who vanquished it" Harry jokingly gloated. To his surprise, the basilisk had not decayed. _It makes sense, it is a magical being_ he thought to himself, hoping his ignorance of the magical world didn't show. He was embarrassed of the fact he was raised outside in the muggle world.

"How romantic, Harry. A first date to a Basilisk corpse" Daphne teased, causing Harry's face to turn red. He knew she was joking, of course. However, he was not in control of his cheeks, much to his disliking.

"Well," he said with a pause, "I had to attempt something memorable, and who can beat a dead Basilisk in an abandoned, damp part of a magical castle?" This caused Daphne to smile, he was genuine, something hard to find in the Slytherin. Harry conjured a few floating lights, to illuminate the room. "Those should last a bit, would you like to sit around and talk for awhile?" Harry hoped his voice didn't betray how eager he actually was to get to know Daphne a little better.

"We don't have long before curfew, but how about another day?" Daphne said, and she wasn't wrong, however she felt it was better to wait before allowing the roots of their new-found friendship to strengthen. Harry merely nodded, struggling to hide his disappointment.

"Alright, we'll head back." It didn't take long for them to make it back to the bathroom, and they were splitting up heading to their respective common rooms. Both left hoping this encounter would not be their last, but staying ignorant of the actual danger their friendship may bring.


	4. A small update for a new beginning

_**I'm no longer updating this version of the story, I really didn't like the way it was going, and since it's been so long since I updated this story I decided I really wanted to start off with a clean slate on a new account. If you are interested in that one, it's also called Wicked layers. The account name is IndigoToby**_

 _ **Thanks everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. I mean it, seeing the response this story got is what partially made me want to try again**_


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